Category: 2016

Calendars 2016 celebrate the journey of calendars from being mere instruments of keeping track of date and days to a coveted possession. In ancient times, different civilizations had calendars tailor-made to their ideas, requirements and beliefs.

Maintaining this kind of pattern is difficult in the modern day where we live in the concept of global village. So universally the Gregorian calendar system with a little modification has been accepted as today’s calendar format by the modern world.

Calendars have become an integral part of people’s life – both in personal and in business spheres. Today, with calendars available both online and offline, organizing your schedule has become easier and more effective.

Calendars are available for people even on the go – pocket calendars, printed or electronic, help you keep track of events, assign tasks, plan your days, and a lot more even when you are away from your home or office desk. In a nutshell, they help you to avoid the embarrassment of forgotten dates and missed commitments.

Many people now take pains to attain a copy of a calendar from a prestigious brand or one that is endorsed by favorite star/s. Customizable and compact, today’s calendars offer variety and styles that surely includes one (if not more) to your liking. At 123NewYear, each year, with the advent of a New Year, we come up with a huge selection of calendars in various colors, designs and themes to become your friend in need in your day to day life.

Calendar 2016

More 2016 Calendars

 

2016 Holidays

Name of the Holiday	Date	Day of the week	Where or Who Celebrate the occasion/ observance
New Year 2016	01-Jan-16	Friday	Around the world
Concluding day of Hogmanay	01-Jan-16	Friday	UNITED KINGDOM
Guru Govind Singh Jayanti	05-Jan-16	Tuesday	India
Epiphany	06-Jan-16	Wednesday	Christian
Orthodox Christmas Day	07-Jan-16	Thursday	Christian
Stephen Foster Memorial Day	13-Jan-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Orthodox New Year	14-Jan-16	Thursday	Christian
Pongal, Makar Sankranti	15-Jan-16	Friday	India
Lee Jackson Day	15-Jan-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Martin Luther King Day National holiday, Robert E Lee’s Birthday, Robert E Lee’s Birthday, Confederate Memorial Day, Idaho Human Rights Day, Civil Rights Day.	18-Jan-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Tu Bishvat/ Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day)	24-Jan-16	Sunday	Jewish
Burns’ Night	25-Jan-16	Monday	UNITED KINGDOM
Republic Day	26-Jan-16	Tuesday	India
Kansas Day	29-Jan-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Nation1al Freedom Day	01-Feb-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Groundhog Day	02-Feb-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti	04-Feb-16	Friday	India
Rosa Parks Day	04-Feb-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
Mardi Gras	09-Feb-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES
Shrove Tuesday	09-Feb-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES/ UNITED KINGDOM
Chinese New Year	11-Feb-16	Thursday	Chinese
Vasant Panchami	12-Feb-16	Friday	India
Valentine’s Day	14-Feb-16	Sunday	Around the world
Susan B Anthony’s Birthday	15-Feb-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Daisy Gatson Bates Day, Presidents’ Day	15-Feb-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Ash Wednesday	10-Feb-16	Wednesday	Christian
Guru Ravidas Jayanti	22-Feb-16	Monday	India
Guru Ravidas Jayanti	22-Feb-16	Monday	India
Shivaji Jayanti	26-Feb-16	Saturday	India
Town Meeting Day Vermont	01-Mar-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES
St. David’s Day	01-Mar-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES/ UNITED KINGDOM
Texas Independence Day/ Texas Flag Day	02-Mar-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Casimir Pulaski Day, Read Across America Day	02-Mar-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Mothering Sunday	06-Mar-16	Sunday	UNITED KINGDOM
Maha Shivaratri	07-Mar-16	Monday	India
Evacuation Day	17-Mar-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
St. Patrick’s Day	17-Mar-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES/ UNITED KINGDOM
March equinox	20-Mar-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Palm Sunday	20-Mar-16	Sunday	Christian
Purim	23-Mar-16	Wednesday	Jewish
Dolyatra/ Chhoti Holi/ Holika Dahan	23-Mar-16	Wednesday	India
Holi	24-Mar-16	Thursday	India
Maryland Day	25-Mar-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day	25/26-Mar-16	Friday/Saturday	UNITED STATES
Seward’s Day	28-Mar-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
César Chávez Day	31-Mar-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
Maundy Thursday	24-Mar-16	Thursday	Christian
Good Friday	25-Mar-16	Friday	Around the world
Holy Saturday	26-Mar-16	Saturday	Christian
Easter Day	27-Mar-16	Sunday	Christian
Easter Monday	28-Mar-16	Monday	Christian
Pascua Florida Day	01-Apr-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
National Tartan Day	06-Apr-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Chaitra Sukhladi/ Gudi Padwa/ Ugadi/ Cheti Chand	08-Apr-16	Friday	India
Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday	13-Apr-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Baisakhi/ Vaisakhi	13-Apr-16	Wednesday	India
Ambedkar Jayanti	14-Apr-16	Thursday	India
Pahela (Poela) Baisakh (Bengal)/ Bahag or Bohaag Bihu (Assam)	14-Apr-16	Thursday	India
Ram Navami	15-Apr-16	Friday	India
Father Damien Day	15-Apr-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Emancipation Day	15/16-Apr-16	Friday/Saturday	UNITED STATES
Tax Day	18-Apr-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Patriot’s Day	18-Apr-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Mahavir Jayanti	19-Apr-16	Tuesday	India
San Jacinto Day	21-Apr-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
Hazarat Ali’s Birthday	21-Apr-16	Thursday	Muslim
Oklahoma Day	22-Apr-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
First day of Passover	22-Apr-16	Friday	Jewish
Administrative Professionals Day	27-Apr-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
St. George’s Day, Shakespeare Day	23-Apr-16	Saturday	UNITED KINGDOM
Last Day of Passover	30-Apr-16	Saturday	Jewish
Yom Ha’atzmaut	11-May-16	Wednesday	Jewish
Confederate Memorial Day	26-Jan-16 (Texas)	Monday	UNITED STATES
	25-Apr-16 (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi)
	26-Apr-16 (Florida)
	10-May-16
	(North Carolina, South Carolina)
May Day	01-May-16	Sunday	India
Law Day, Loyalty Day, National Day of Prayer	01-May-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Early May Bank Holiday	02-May-16	Monday	UNITED KINGDOM
Primary Election Day Indiana	03-May-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES
Rhode Island Independence Day	04-May-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Isra and Mi’raj	04-May-16	Wednesday	Muslim
Yom HaShoah	04-May-16	Wednesday	Jewish
Cinco de Mayo	05-May-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
Ascension Day	05-May-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
National Nurses Day	06-May-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore	07-May-16	Saturday	India
Truman Day	08-May-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Mother’s Day	08-May-16	Sunday	Around the world
Peace Officers Memorial Day	15-May-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Pentecost	15-May-16	Sunday	Christian
National Defense Transportation Day	20-May-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Armed Forces Day	21-May-16	Saturday	UNITED STATES
Buddha Purnima	21-May-16	Saturday	India
Harvey Milk Day, National Maritime Day	22-May-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Trinity Sunday	22-May-16	Sunday	Christian
Emergency Medical Services for Children Day	25-May-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
National Missing Children’s Day	25-May-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Corpus Christi	26-May-16	Thursday	Christian
Lag Ba’Omer	25-May-16	Wednesday	Jewish
Whit Monday	26-May-16	Monday	Christian
Spring Bank Holiday	30-May-16	Monday	UNITED KINGDOM
Memorial Day, Jefferson Davis Birthday	30-May-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Jefferson Davis Birthday	30-May-16 (Mississippi)	Monday/Friday/Monday	UNITED STATES
	3-June-16 (Florida)
	6-June-16 (Alabama)
D-Day	06-Jun-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Ramadan begins	07-Jun-16	Tuesday	Muslim
Kamehameha Day	11-Jun-16	Saturday	UNITED STATES
Shavuot	11-Jun-16	Saturday	Jewish
Flag Day	14-Jun-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES
Bunker Hill Day	17-Jun-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Juneteenth	19-Jun-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Father’s Day	19-Jun-16	Sunday	Around the world
West Virginia Day	20-Jun-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
June Solstice	20-Jun-16	Monday	UNITED STATES/UNITED KINGDOM
Jamat Ul-Vida	01-Jul-16	Friday	Muslim
Lailat al-Qadr	02-Jul-16	Saturday	Muslim
Independence Day	04-Jul-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Ramzan Id/ Eid-ul-Fitar	05-Jul-16	Tuesday	Muslim
Rath Yatra	06-Jul-16	Wednesday	India
Orangemen’s Day	12-Jul-16	Tuesday	UNITED KINGDOM
Pioneer Day	24-Jul-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Parents’ Day	24-Jul-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Friendship Day	07-Aug-16	Sunday	Around the world
Victory Day	08-Aug-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Tisha B’Av	13-Aug-16	Saturday	Jewish
Independence Day	15-Aug-16	Monday	India
Assumption of Mary	15-Aug-16	Monday	Christian
Bennington Battle Day	16-Aug-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES
Parsi New Year	17-Aug-16	Wednesday	Parsi
Raksha Bandhan	18-Aug-16	Thursday	India
National Aviation Day	19-Aug-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Statehood Day in Hawaii	19-Aug-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Statehood Day	19-Aug-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Senior Citizens Day	21-Aug-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Janmashtami	25-Aug-16	Thursday	India
Lyndon Baines Johnson Day	27-Aug-16	Saturday	UNITED STATES
Summer Bank Holiday	29-Aug-16	Monday	UNITED KINGDOM
Labor Day	05-Sep-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Ganesh Chaturthi	05-Sep-16	Monday	India
Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day	10-Sep-16	Saturday	UNITED STATES
Bakri Id/ Eid ul-Adha	10-Sep-16	Saturday	Muslim
National Grandparents Day	11-Sep-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
National POW/MIA Recognition Day	16-Sep-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day	17-Sep-16	Saturday	UNITED STATES
September Equinox	22-Sep-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES/ UNITED KINGDOM
Gold Star Mother’s Day	27-Sep-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti	02-Oct-16	Friday	India
Rosh Hashana	02-Oct-16	Sunday	Jewish
Child Health Day	03-Oct-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Feast of St Francis of Assisi	04-Oct-16	Sunday	Christian
Leif Erikson Day	09-Oct-16	Sunday	UNITED STATES
Maha Saptami	08-Oct-16	Saturday	India
Maha Ashtami / Durgashtami	09-Oct-16	Sunday	India
Maha Navami	10-Oct-16	Monday	India
Columbus Day, Native Americans’ Day, Indigenous People’s Day	10-Oct-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Yom Kippur	11-Oct-16	Tuesday	Jewish
Dussehra/ Vijaya Dashami	11-Oct-16	Tuesday	India
Ashura	11-Oct-16	Tuesday	Muslim
Muharram	12-Oct-16	Wednesday	Muslim
White Cane Safety Day	15-Oct-16	Saturday	UNITED STATES
Boss’s Day	17-Oct-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
First Day of Sukkot	16-Oct-16	Sunday	Jewish
Alaska Day	18-Oct-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES
Karva Chauth	19-Oct-16	Wednesday	India
Last Day of Sukkot	23-Oct-16	Sunday	Jewish
Shmini Atzeret	23-Oct-16	Tuesday	Jewish
Chhoti Diwali/ Naraka Chaturdasi/ Kaali Puja	29-Oct-16	Saturday	India
Diwali/ Deepavali	30-Oct-16	Sunday	India
Govardhan Puja	31-Oct-16	Monday	India
Halloween	31-Oct-16	Monday	UNITED STATES/ UNITED KINGDOM
All Saints’ Day	01-Nov-16	Tuesday	Christian
Bhai Duj	01-Nov-16	Tuesday	India
All Souls’ Day	02-Nov-16	Wednesday	Christian
Election Day	08-Nov-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Guy Fawkes Day	05-Nov-16	Saturday	UNITED KINGDOM
Veterans Day	11-Nov-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
Remembrance Sunday	13-Nov-16	Sunday	UNITED KINGDOM
Guru Nanak Jayanti	14-Nov-16	Monday	India
Chhat Puja	17-Nov-16	Tuesday	India
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day	24-Nov-16	Thursday	India
Thanksgiving Day	24-Nov-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES
American Indian Heritage Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Black Friday	25-Nov-16	Friday	UNITED STATES
First Sunday of Advent	27-Nov-16	Sunday	Christian
Cyber Monday	28-Nov-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
St Andrew’s Day	30-Nov-16	Wednesday	UNITED KINGDOM
St Nicholas’ Day	06-Dec-16	Tuesday	UNITED STATES
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day	07-Dec-16	Wednesday	UNITED STATES
Feast of the Immaculate Conception	08-Dec-16	Thursday	UNITED STATES/ UNITED KINGDOM
The Prophet’s Birthday (Milad un-Nabi/ Id-e-Milad)	12-Dec-16	Monday	Muslim
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe	12-Dec-16	Monday	UNITED STATES
Wright Brothers Day, Pan American Aviation Day	17-Dec-16	Saturday	UNITED STATES
Winter Solstice	21-Dec-16	Wednesday	UNITED KINGDOM
Christmas Eve	24-Dec-16	Saturday	Around the world
Christmas	25-Dec-16	Sunday	Around the world
First Day of Hanukkah	25-Dec-16	Sunday	Jewish
Kwanzaa	26-Dec-16	Monday	UNITED STATES (Afro-American)
Boxing Day	26-Dec-16	Monday	UNITED KINGDOM
New Year’s Eve	31-Dec-16	Thursday	Around the world
Last Day of Hanukkah	01-Jan-17	Sunday	Jewish

New Year brings with it special emotions and the 2016 New Year isn’t going to be anything other than spectacular. At least there is no harm in wishing so!

This doesn’t matter if you are a serious person or a fun loving, you won’t be able to get away from the excitement that grabs a hold of everyone when the New Year comes close.

This is a holiday is loved by all, despite religion or ethnicity, but everyone celebrates it in a different way, be it with huge fireworks shows or some great parties or some cozy family time.

In 2016, the New Year or otherwise known as January 1 is on Friday and everyone must have already started making their plans to have a long weekend.

You might head to your home and visit your family and friends or even party like you don’t care what happens tomorrow or even head out on that dream vacation that you have been planning for the entire year. The best part is that most countries have already declared the first day of January to be a public holiday, which means you can enjoy the long holiday without sacrificing your vacation time.

Everyone at 123NewYear is planning to make this New Year special. The team is making all the efforts to make the advent of 2016 a blast that lingers in your mind for years to come. We can help you with plenty of different party ideas, including the costume and menu planning and lots more, so that can help you to greet 2016 with élan. You can plan the entire year before it even starts by downloading some of the most beautiful calendars for the year and there are plenty of great wallpapers that you can download, which can give your gadget a new face lift.

Are you trying to pen down what you are thinking, but not being able to find the correct words? Well, then there are plenty of great messages, quotes and New Years wishes that you can use to send to everyone. These will give them a great and special feeling, which will help to start their 2016 off perfectly. For those who are interested in horoscopes or tarot, then we also have something for you with detailed and in-depth predictions about how you will fare during the upcoming year.

You will be able to focus on everything else to make the upcoming New Year special for everyone involved, especially since you won’t have to work so hard at planning everything! You can simply enjoy your celebrations and let everyone think that you worked harder than you did and bask in the praise that comes from your guests.
 

 

• Reconnecting with Your Friends and Family:

The world is a busy one and it keeps us on our feet all day long and this often causes times when we are adrift from our family and friends, despite the desire to spend plenty of quality time bonding and talking with them. However, you can fix that during the special time of the year simply by filling their hearts with warmth and giving them the feeling of being wanted and that they are special to you. You can show that you love them in a myriad of different ways, including buying them thoughtful presents and cooking them their favorite meals. For those who are far away, make sure that you send them gifts or greetings in the form of cards to let them know you are thinking of them and love them.

• Fun, Frolic, Responsibility:

The celebrations of the New Year would be incomplete without the festive activities and when you look at the various celebrations all over the globe you will see that feasting and fun is had everywhere. Also, during this time think about sharing what you have with those who might not have as much as you, including food, clothes and some everyday necessities to start their 2016 off right. You can give someone else a good start to their year with giving them these simple gifts, which might lead to something bigger, you never know!

• Somber promises to be virtuous:

When you think about celebrating the New Year everyone thinks about what resolutions that they will make, regardless of whether or not they come true. However, for those who are prosaic, then 201t will be all about turning a new page in a chapter of their life and opening new books and exploring new avenues. This is the time plans are made with passion for a better life or to get that much closer to any dreams that they harbor. You should also think about spending some quality time with society’s specially challenged citizens to allow them to feel like they belong and that they are loved by someone other than their family or friends.

• Celebrating New Year the Traditional Way:

January 1 is the date that has been adopted by most of the people all over the world, who celebrate the holiday with plenty of fun and zeal, but there are also some beautiful traditions that are followed all over the world. The customs and the time that these traditions are enjoyed can vary from locations all over the globe and the information about these celebrations, including the details that we believe should be known to help garner respect for the world’s traditions are listed. There are plenty of different variations of traditions that are based upon religious beliefs, culture and history.


If you want to experience some of these traditions for yourself, go ahead and find out which ones you are interested in and then find the closest one to you. However, if you really want to enjoy some of the best traditions, then you might need to travel to enjoy them, but that is possible with the extra long holiday that is loved by all. This would be something that would be enjoyable, especially if you are traveling with family or friends, so go ahead and enjoy the various traditions in your area!  If you don’t want to, or can’t afford to, travel, then you can find plenty of great events that you can enjoy nearby, so don’t miss out!

Hindu Festival Calendar 2016 covers all the major Hindu celebrations and observances. Hindus observe their traditional festivals as per the traditional Hindu calendar which is a solar based calendar.

However, for official purposes everywhere the modern day Gregorian calendar is used. Now the dates of the Hindu festival keep changing each year for they are determined as per the Hindu almanac.

For those who celebrate these festivals, to help you plot the occurrences, we at 123NewNear have provided the dates as per modern day calendar.

To keep the tradition alive we have also included a brief description of each of the festivities.

2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Printable Calendars	Desktop Calendars	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar
Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar

New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

Horoscope 2016

 

So, here goes the Hindu Festival Calendar 2016 –

Name of the Festival	Date of the Festival	Description
Makar Sankranti, Uttarayana Sankranti , Pongal, Maghi, Lohri, Bhogali Bihu.	Jan-15	This is considered to be an auspicious day for the Hindus. This is when Spring season begins according to Hindu beliefs. This day is celebrated as harvest festival in various parts of the country.
	(Friday)
Pushya (Paush) Putrada Ekadashi	Jan-20	This is the day when people pray before God for the wellbeing of their children.
	(Wednesday)
Pushya (Paush) Purnima	Jan-24	This day is considered auspicious to begin education in a formal manner.
	(Sunday)
Mauni Amavas	Feb-08	This is a day when observed piously is believed to bring spiritual gains.
	(Monday)
Vasant Panchami	Feb-12	This is the day to worship Goddess Saraswati for knowledge and enlightenment.
	(Friday)
Kumbha Sankranti	Feb-13	This is the first day of the traditional Solar calendar and is considered to be very auspicious.
	(Saturday)
Bhishma Ashtami	Feb-15	Bhishma is a respected character of the epic Mahabharata who is known for his sincerity, honesty, dignity and integrity. On this day people pray to Lord Vishnu so that they are blessed with virtues like that of Bhisma.
	(Monday)
Maagh Purnima	Feb-22	This is the day to pay tribute to one’s ancestors.
	(Monday)
Maha ShivaRatri	Mar-07	People pray to Lord Shiva on this day for salvation and redemption from sins.
	(Monday)
Holika Dahan/ Jalanevali Holi/ Chhoti Holi	Mar-23	As per Hindu mythology this is the day when Demon Holika was killed. People burn edifices to symbolize victory of virtue over vice.
	(Wednesday)
Holi	Mar-24	A colorful festival to enjoy Spring Season.
	(Thursday)
Yugadi , Gudi Padwa	Apr-08	On this day begins the traditional New Year in the Indian States of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
	(Friday)
Gauri Puja/Gangaur	Apr-10	People worship deities on this day seeking happiness in wedded life.
	(Sunday)
Solar New Year – Baisakh/ Bohag Bihu/ Vishu/ Pahela Baisakh (Nabo Barsho)/ Navreh.	Apr-13	Traditional regional New Year as observed in the States of Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Bengal and Kashmir.
	(Wednesday)
Rama Navami	Apr-15	This marks the birth anniversary of Lord Ram, who is considered an incarnation of Vishnu.
	(Friday)
Hanuman Jayanti	Apr-22	This day celebrates the birth anniversary of Hanuman, the Vanara God.
	(Friday)
Parashuram Jayanti	May-08	This is the birth anniversary of Parashuram, who is considered to be the sixth incarnation of Vishnu.
	(Sunday)
Akshaya Tritiya/ Akha Teej	May-09	This is one of the most auspicious days as per Hindu calendar. It is believed that worshipping on this day endows one with virtues that can never be destroyed.
	(Monday)
Buddha Purnima	May-21	This is the day that marks the Birth, Enlightenment and Nirvana of Lord Buddha.
	(Saturday)
Vat Savitri Vrat	Jun-04	Performed by married women who pray for the wellbeing of their husband.
	(Saturday)
Shani Jayanti	Jun-05	Birth anniversary of Lord Shani.
	(Sunday)
Ganga Dussehra	Jun-14	People worship the celestial river Ganga.
	(Tuesday)
Nirjala Ekadashi	Jun-16	Going without food and even water on this day is believed to help attain salvation.
	(Thursday)
Vat Purnima Vrat	Jun-19	Married women pray for the long life of their husband.
	(Sunday)
Jagannath Rathyatra	Jul-06	The very renowned chariot festival is observed to worship Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram and Goddess Subhadra.
	(Wednesday)
Dev Shayani Ekadashi or Hari Shayani Ekadashi or Padma Ekadasi	Jul-15	From this day begins the four month period of Chatur-Masa.
	(Friday)
Guru Purnima	Jul-19	The day when disciples pay homage to their teacher or Guru.
	(Tuesday)
Hariyali Teej	Aug-05	This is the day when women pray for happiness in marriage.
	(Friday)
Nag Panchami	Aug-07	People worship Snakes on this day seeking good fortune.
	(Sunday)
Varalakshmi Vrat	Aug-12	Married women pray on this day seeking wellbeing of family, especially children.
	(Friday)
Raksha Bandhan	Aug-18	A day that celebrates the bond of love between brothers and sisters.
	(Thursday)
Kajari/ Kajli Teej	Aug-21	On this day married women fast seeking long life and overall wellbeing of husband.
	(Sunday)
Janmashtami	Aug-25	This is the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
	(Thursday)
Hartalika Teej	Sep-04	This is the day when women worship so that they have a happy and fulfilling marriage.
	(Sunday)
Ganesh Chaturthi	Sep-05	Celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, and the day is considered to be auspicious for new beginnings.
	(Monday)
Rishi Panchami	Sep-06	This day pays homage to all the saints who have always been a guiding star in people’s life.
	(Tuesday)
Radha Ashtami	Sep-09	This is the day when it is believed that Radha, Lord Krishna’s Divine Consort, was born.
	(Friday)
Parsva Ekadashi or Vamana Ekadasi, Onam	Sep-13	This is the day when Lord Vishnu appeared in his Vamana incarnation.
	(Tuesday)
Ganesh Visarjan , Anant Chaturdashi	Sep-15	This is the concluding day of Ganesh puja. On this day Anant Dev is worshipped to seek opulence.
	(Thursday)
Sarva-Pitru Amavasya/ Mahalaya Amavasya	Sep-30	People pray to pay homage to their departed ancestors.
	(Friday)
Sharad Navratri or Maha Navaratri begins	Oct-02	This marks the beginning of the nine days of worshipping Goddess Durga in various forms.
	(Sunday)
Dussehra	Oct-11	According to mythology this is the day when Ravana was defeated by Lord Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. People celebrate this day to establish good over evil.
	(Tuesday)
Papankusha Ekadashi	Oct-12	People worship Lord Vishnu and ask forgiveness from all sins ever committed.
	(Wednesday)
Sharad Purnima or Kojagari Poornima.	Oct-15	A day to worship Goddess Lakshmi seeking peace, contentment and prosperity in the household.
	(Saturday)
Karwa Chauth	Oct-19	Fasting is observed by married women for the longevity and wellbeing of husband.
	(Wednesday)
Ahoi Ashtami	Oct-22	Mothers fast for the wellbeing of their son/ sons.
	(Saturday)
Rama Ekadashi	Oct-26	People believe that observing rituals on this day helps to attain salvation.
	(Wednesday)
Dhan Teras/ Dhana Trayodashi	Oct-28	People seek prosperity round the year by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi and/or Lord Kubera. It is also a custom to buy any precious metal.
	(Friday)
Narak Chaturdashi/ Kali Chaudus/ Chhoti Deewali	Oct-29	This is the day when Goddess Kali is worshipped for strength.
	(Saturday)
Diwali or Deepavali	Oct-30	A festival of lights when people worship to erase all kinds of darkness from one’s life.
	(Sunday)
Gowardhan Puja/ Annakut	Oct-31	People worship Lord Krishna asking for protection.
	(Monday)
Bhaiya Duj/ Bhai dooj/ Bhatri Dwitiya/ Bhau Bij/ Bhai Tika/ Bhai Phota	Nov-01	Sisters pray on this day for the happiness and long life of brother/ brothers.
	(Tuesday)
Chhath Puja or Surya Shashti	Nov-06	People worship the Sun God.
	(Sunday)
Prabodhini Ekadasi or Devutthana Ekadashi	Nov-11	The four months of Chatur-Masa ends.
	(Friday)
Gita Jayanti	Dec-10	This is the day when Bhagavad Gita is believed to have been originated.
	(Saturday)
		Praying on this day brings salvation.
Mokshada Ekadashi
Dattatreya Jayanti,		The birthday of God Dattatreya, who is a combination of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara (Shiva).
	Dec-13
	(Tuesday)	Unmarried girls bathe in river Yamuna and pray so that they get a groom as per their wish.
Margashirsha Purnima
Saphala Ekadasi (Pausha Krishna Ekadashi)	Dec-24	Observed in the waning phase of the moon in the Indian month of Pausha, this is the day when devotees worship Lord Vishnu for salvation.
	(Saturday)

Baha’i Holiday Calendar 2016 is a comprehensive analysis of the observances and festivals that are commemorated by the people following the Baha’i religion. Before we delve into the observances and festivities, let us have a brief idea about the principals on which the Baha’i faith is pivoted.

This is a religion that was propagated by Bahá'u'lláh in the 19^th century based on monotheistic principles. The aim of establishing this religion was to create unity among all human beings. Baha'i holidays are observed as per the Baha'i calendar. Now this calendar is a solar calendar that has 365 days just like the Gregorian calendar which is widely followed in the modern times. Additionally the Baha'i calendar also includes a Leap Year once in every four years when the number of days in the year is 366. However, the Baha'i calendar constitutes of nineteen months all of which have nineteen days. Apart from that there is also a provision that leaves room for some extra days that are termed as the ‘Intercalary Days’.  The Baha'i calendar system is termed as Badi’ – a term that literally means wondrous or unique. Time and again efforts have been made to relate the Badi’ calendar to the modern day calendar system as much as possible without deviating from the basic Baha'i principals. Apart from the Baha'i New Year celebrations, all the other observances of the Baha'i faith are generally pivoted around the people who have significantly contributed to shape the Baha'i religion. In a year, there are nine days that the people of Baha'i faith consider to be holy or auspicious. On these days they observe abstinence from work. Apart from that there are some other days which are held significant by the people of the Baha'i faith, but do not require to stay away from work. Additionally there is also a mandate to observe a fasting for a period of nineteen days.

2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Printable Calendars	Desktop Calendars	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar
Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar

New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

Horoscope 2016

  Here is a calendar that marks the date of all the Baha’i celebrations and observances in the course of the year 2016 along with a brief description of what the day is all about –

• Naw-Ruz (Baha'i New Year) -- March 20, 2016 (Sunday) – The day of the Vernal Equinox is observed as the first say as per the Baha'i calendar thereby marking it to be the Baha'i New Year. This is a joyous occasion that also marks the end to the nineteen days period of annual fasting. Naturally the day is celebrated with much joy and merriment. Prayers are observed. Apart from that fun and feasting bring out the gaiety of the occasion.


• Festival of Ridvan -- April 20, 2016 (Wednesday) – This marks the celebration of Bahá'u'lláh commencing as the Prophet. This is celebrated for twelve days beginning from this day. During this period of time it is required for the people following the Baha'i religion to abstain from work.


• Declaration of the Bab -- May 23, 2016 (Monday) – This day is considered to be one of the most important festivals by people observing the Baha'i faith. Baha'i people believe that it is on this day that the revered Bab revealed that He is the one who would bring the message of unity, peace and justice from God.


• Ascension of the Baha'u'llah -- May 28, 2016 (Saturday) – This is the day in the year 1892 when the founder-prophet of the Baha'i religion, Baha'u'llah, died at 3am. He was aged seventy five at that time, and was living in exile in a house known as Bahji in the outskirts of Akka.


• Martyrdom of the Bab -- July 09, 2016 (Saturday) – On this day in the year 1850 at noon, the prophet-herald of the Baha'i faith, Siyyid Ali Muhammed, was martyred. He was brutally killed before a firing squad after spending three years in imprisonment before that. His body was mercilessly dumped in the outskirts of the city from where his devote followers rescued it in the darkness of the night. The body, preserved in a wooden case, was kept in hiding at different places for a considerable period of time. Finally in the year 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá could build a shrine on Mt. Carmel and the corpse was put to rest in peace.


• Birth of the Bab – November 1, 2016 (Tuesday) – This is an auspicious day according to the people of the Baha'i faith since it commemorates the birth anniversary of Siyyid Ali Muhammad, a pioneer of the religion. On this day people are expected to refrain from work.


• Birth of Baha'u'llah -- November 2, 2016 (Wednesday) – This is the holy day that marks the birth anniversary of Baha'u'llah, who was the founder Prophet of the faith. On this day people are expected to abstain from work.


• Day of the Covenant – November 25, 2016 (Friday) – This day to mark the appointment of ‘Abdu’l-Baha,, the eldest son of Baha’u’llah, as the “Center of His Covenant”. However this day is not traditionally holy and abstinence from work is not required on this day. This is because of the fact that ‘Abdu’l-Baha was a very humble person and was contented to be his “Father’s Son”.


• Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha – November 28, 2016 (Monday) – This day that marks the death anniversary of 'Abdu'l-Baha who was the eldest son of Baha'u'llah, and also took over as his successor. However this day is not traditionally holy and abstinence from work is not required on this day. This is because of the fact that ‘Abdu’l-Baha was a very humble person and was contented to be his “Father’s Son”.

Apart from the days mentioned above, there are three more observances that require special mention. These are –

• The Nineteen Days of Fasting – March 2 (Wednesday) to March 20 (Sunday), 2016 – This is a period of nineteen days that is considered to be auspicious and holy by the people following the Baha'i faith. It is believed that this was introduced by Bahá'u'lláh himself. This period just precedes the Baha'i New Year. During this period Baha'is observe fasting and spend a lot of time praying and reading holy texts or listening to holy recitals. This is a period when they are trying to connect with the soul and aiming to grasp the deeper meaning of life. As this period ends in the Baha'i New Year, it gives a special significance to the New Year, when it seems that the Baha'is begin another 365 days with a rejuvenated soul.


• Race Unity Day – June 12, 2016 (Sunday) – This day was introduced in the year 1957 by the people of Baha'i faith living in America to eradicate any racial discrimination.  


• World Religion Day – January 17, 2016 (Sunday) – This is observed on the third Sunday of the month of January each year. This is a day that upholds the principle of Unity of Religion which is again based on the belief that there exists a World Religion integrating all beliefs and encompassing the entire human race. This day was first observed in the year 1950 mainly due to the enthusiasm of the Baha'is living in America. Baha'is believe that with a World Religion there would prevail a sense on Universal Brotherhood thereby bringing Universal Peace.

Christianity is believed to have been founded sometime in the First Century A.D.  It follows the principals laid down by Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be the Son of God who was fully divine and human at the same time.

Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah who was sent to save the human race. Here is a comprehensive Christian Holiday Calendar 2016 –

• 1.       January 06, 2016 (Wednesday) Epiphany – Celebrated on the twelfth day post Christmas, this is the say when the Christians believe that the three wise men (Magi) visited baby Jesus after He was born to bring Him gifts. This day also known as the “Three Kings’ Day” or the “Twelfth Day”. Feasting and merriment mark the occasion for God Messiah was finally on Earth to save humanity.


• 2.       March 17, 2016 (Thursday) St. Patrick's Day – This day is believed to have been celebrated since the seventeenth century. This is the day when Christians believe that St. Patrick introduced the principles of Christianity to Ireland.


• 3.       March 20, 2016 (Sunday) Palm Sunday – According to the Catholic belief, the Canonical Gospels mention this day to celebrate the victorious entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. This day is the Sunday prior to Easter, and is about a week preceding His Resurrection.



2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Printable Calendars	Desktop Calendars	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar
Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar

New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

Horoscope 2016

 
• 4.       March 24, 2016 (Thursday) Maundy (Holy) Thursday – This is the day when the Christians celebrate the occasion of the Last Supper that Christ had with the Apostles. The event is known as the Maundy, and it is commemorated on the Thursday prior to Easter. This event also finds mention in the Canonical Gospels, and is considered to be the fifth auspicious day of the Holy Week. This day is also referred to as the Sheer Thursday, Thursday of Mysteries, Covenant Thursday, Holy Thursday etc.


• 5.       March 25, 2016 (Friday) Good Friday – Christians observe this day very somberly as it marks the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and his consequent death in the Cavalry. This event also finds mention in the Canonical Gospels, and people participate in special prayers to commemorate the occasion. This day is also referred to as the names of Great Friday, Black Friday, Holy Friday, or Easter Friday.


• 6.       March 27, 2016 (Sunday) Easter – This is a joyous occasion for the Christians for this day marks the Resurrection of Christ, three days after He was crucified. This is also the day that marks the end of the Lent period. Lent is a period of forty days when observant Christians practice fasting and self discipline.


• 7.       March 28, 2016 (Monday) Easter Monday – Celebrated on the Monday post Easter Sunday, this is a joyous occasion when Christians visit friends and family often carrying them sweets.


• 8.       May 05, 2016 (Thursday) Ascension of Jesus – Observed on the fortieth day after Easter, Christians regard this day to be holy as Christ made bodily ascent to Heaven on this day in presence of His eleven Apostles.


• 9.       May 15, 2016 (Sunday) Pentecost – This is observed on the fiftieth day after Easter. On this day, the Holy Spirit is believed to have descended upon the eleven apostles and also on the followers of Jesus Christ. At that time, the Law of Sinai was handed over to Moses (religious leader).


• 10.    May 22, 2016 (Sunday) Trinity Sunday – This is the first Sunday after Pentecost, and on this day, the Christian faith in the doctrine of Trinity is uphold. This is also known as the mystery of Christian faith and preaches to find God in every person – the Father (God), the Son (Jesus, the son of God), and the Holy Spirit (the third divine person).


• 11.    May 26, 2016 (Thursday) Corpus Christi – Also known by the name of the Feast of Corpus Christi, and also Corpus Domini, this is commemorated on the Thursday after the Trinity Sunday. This day upholds the Christian institution of Eucharist – the Christian faith that proclaims that the Eucharist consists of His Real Presence in the form of the body and blood.


• 12.    August 15, 2016 (Monday) The Assumption of Mary – Also known as the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Christian when Virgin Mary passed on to the “Eternal Life”.


• 13.    October 31, 2016, 2016 (Monday) All Hallows Eve (Halloween) – This festival originated from the pagan Celtic observances in honor of Harvest. Later however this day became one when people paid tribute to the souls of the deceased. This also became the day when one celebrated the martyrs and departed Saints. Modern day celebrations however revolve around everything that is haunted and spooky. Theme parties are rampant where people dress up in costumes and go for trick-o-treat.


• 14.    November 01, 2016 (Tuesday) All Saints' Day – This day is observed in honor of all Saints – whether they are still on Earth or have been received in Heaven. This is especially observed in honor of those Saints who do not have any Feast assigned specially in their name.


• 15.    November 02, 2016 (Wednesday) All Souls' Day – This solemn Christian feast honors all souls that have deceased, but have not yet been accepted in Heaven. Christians believe that when a person departs, the soul suffers punishments as a cleansing process for all the sins that were committed during their tenure on Earth, before they are given entry to Heaven.


• 16.    November 27, 2016 (Sunday) Advent - First Sunday – As per traditional Christian belief, this is the day that marks the beginning of the traditional Christian New Year. This is actually the time when people start gearing up to celebrate Christmas. It is a common tradition to wear purple vestments to commence this day; for purple is known to represent royalty as well as penance; and is thus selected to welcome Jesus whom Christians consider to be the King of the World.


• 17.    November 30, 2016 (Wednesday) St. Andrew's Day – This is the day to commemorate the patron Saint of Scotland, St. Andrew, and to remember his life and services.


• 18.    December 06, 2016 (Tuesday) St. Nicholas Day – This is the day that honors the noble Saint Nicholas of Myra. It is based on him that the Santa Clause came to being; and no Christmas is complete without Santa Claus bringing gifts for those children who have been nice all round the year; while those who have not been so get only coal.


• 19.    December 24, 2016 (Saturday) Christmas Eve – This day is very important as per Christian traditions because it is at night of this day that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World, was believed to have been born. There is special midnight mass organized at churches to commemorate this occasion. Apart from religious consequence, this day is celebrated all across the globe for in many countries this marks the beginning of the Annual Holiday Season.


• 20.    December 25, 2016 (Sunday) Christmas – As per Christian tradition this day is celebrated with much pomp and glory for it marks the birth of Jesus Christ who Christians consider to be the Son of God. This is a joyous occasion of fun and feasting. There are special prayers organized at Churches. However Christmas has transcended religious barriers at modern times and has gone on to turn it into an occasion to spread goodwill to all and sundry. During this time people decorate their homes beautifully with lights and other ornaments. In modern times it is a common practice to decorate a “Christmas Tree”. Gifts are exchanged as a mark of love and goodwill. It is also believed that Santa Claus brings gifts to children for this occasion – but only those children who have been good receive gifts, while others just get coal.

Jewish New Year is known by the name of Rosh Hashanah. It is celebrated in keeping with the traditional Jewish calendar.

When plotted against the modern day Gregorian calendar the event takes place sometime in the month of either September or October.

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated in the traditional Jewish month of Tishri. Jewish New Year is celebrated with utmost pomp and glory for this is considered to be one of the most significant observances of the Jewish people, and has importance both in the social as well as religious aspects.

This day is believed to find mention even in the holy Bible. Rosh Hashanah is a major festival for the Jewish people and the celebrations go on for ten days. What begins as Rosh Hashanah ends on the tenth day as Yom Kippur. This period of ten days is considered to be very auspicious and it is known by the name of Shabbat Shuva.

• Date of Rosh Hashanah in 2016: Rosh Hashanah 2016 begins in the evening of Sunday, October 2, 2016; and ends in the evening of Tuesday, October 4, 2016.



New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar




Horoscope 2016



• Timing of Rosh Hashanah in 2016: Rosh Hashanah celebrations are calculated on the basis of the Lunar based calendar that the Jewish people traditionally adhere to. As per the traditional Jewish calendar each day begins as the sun sets. Naturally, the celebrations of Rosh Hashanah begin in the previous day after the sun sets. As per the Jewish calendar this is the last day of the month of Elul. Since the 4^th century, the traditional Jewish calendar has been modified in a manner so that Rosh Hashanah would never be observed on some specific days of the week, these days being – Sunday, Wednesday, Friday. Because of all these alterations often it becomes difficult to determine when the new moon is. On those occasions Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days. However such celebration for two days does not find any mention in the Written Torah, and as such some people discard the idea altogether. According to the traditional belief that is strictly based on what is there in the Written Torah, Rosh Hashanah should be observed on the first day of the Jewish month of Tishri.


• Religious Beliefs surrounding Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish people believe that the New Year is the time for Judgment. This is the day when according to them God opens three books of accounts – one has the names of all those people who have been righteous, the second has the names of all those people who have showed traits of vices, while the third book takes into account those people who are in the middle. On this Day of Judgment, God provides right to enter Heaven to those who have been righteous and prevents the wicked ones from entering the Heaven. As for the third category, they are provided a grace period of ten days. Within this time they are expected to mend their ways and repent for wrongs done in the past. It is then that they shall be considered for entry to Heaven.


• Significance of the Shofar: A shofar is of utmost importance in the Jewish culture. A Shofar is a form of musical instrument that is crafted out of the horn of a Ram. During the Rosh Hashanah celebrations a Shofar is sounded either for 100 times or for 101 times, depending on the particular Jewish community. Listening to the sound of the Shofar is believed to bring in Spiritual Awakening for Jewish people believe that shofar sound was heard when the Torah was being handed over by God.


• Rosh Hashanah Eve: This day is known as the Erev of Rosh Hashanah. This is an interesting point in New Year celebrations. Here the New Year’s Eve is celebrated on the day of the New Year itself. As such celebrations for Rosh Hashanah Eve actually take place on the first day of the traditional Jewish month of Tishri. This is because of the fact that as per Jewish traditions, a day begins after sunset, and as such Rosh Hashanah is celebrated after sunset of the first day of the month of Tishri; while the Eve is celebrated during the daytime of the same day. This Eve is marked by holy bath and special prayers.


• Rites and Rituals observed during Jewish New Year: Jewish New Year is all about self rectification, and its celebrations are full of rituals and symbolism. This is considered to be a Day of Judgment, and as such people begin the day with holy bathing and special prayers. The sound of the Shofar in the morning is like a moral reminder to delve deep within and find ways of self improvement. Feasting involves eating a number of symbolic food items.


• Symbolic Meals: Traditionally, the Jewish people attach symbolic importance to some food items, and they are included in the New Year meals. For example, dates, leeks, spinach, whole fish with head in place, black eyed beans, gourd etc are considered to bear symbolism in them. Some people believe that having apple and honey on this day would sweeten the days to come. Eating pomegranate on this day is considered to make the year a fruitful one. Some people also believe in reciting prayers over Seder.


• Tashlikh: This ritual is mostly followed in the afternoon. For this, people visit a nearby water body that has a flowing stream of water. There people pray and throw pebbles. This is believed to be the symbolic representation of the fact that they are discarding all the negatives from the bygone days. It is believed that with the flow of water the sins committed knowingly or unknowingly would too get carried or washed away.


• Greetings: Traditional Jewish New Year wish says -- Leshana tova tekatev v'techatem – which literally translated means “May you be blessed with a good year!” Often people are heard wishing each other Shanah Tovah or Ah Gut Yohr – Good Year; or even Gmar Tov or Gmar Chatima Tova – May God pass a favorable judgment. All the Jewish New Year wishes stem from the belief that Jewish New Year is the time to make a fresh new beginning to life. It is the time when one should discard all the vices and embrace all that is virtuous. In doing so, they believe, that God would be kind to them while making the Judgment, and would give them entry to Heaven.

• Date: The date for the traditional Korean New Year which is known by the name of Seollal in the year 2016 is Monday, February 08.



• Overview: Traditional Seollal celebrations last for three days – the day before the New Year, the actual New Year’s Day, and the day after that. Traditional Korean New Year is called Seollal, the date of which is calculated in accordance to the lunar based calendar system that existed in ancient Korea. However, Korean New Year celebrations encompass commemorating both the traditional lunar New Year as well as the modern day Gregorian New Year. Both the dates are celebrated with pomp and glory by the people of Korea. Among all the Traditional holidays that are celebrated by the Korean people. The traditional New Year or the Seollal celebrations are attached the most importance. This day is calculated on the basis of the cycle of the moon. Seollal is believed to commence on the second new moon that comes after the day on which the winter solstice takes place. However, there exist some exceptions to this rule, although very rarely such exceptions are required to be taken into account. This happens when there is an existence of an intercalary month (eleventh or twelfth) coming in between the days that lead up to the lunar New Year of Seollal. When such an anomaly takes place in the celestial world, then the lunar New Year is celebrated on the day of the third new moon day after the day of the winter solstice.



New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar




Horoscope 2016



• Origin of traditional Korean New Year – Seollal or traditional Korean New Year celebrations go back to ancient times. Some of the ancient scriptures have mention of such observances. For example the Chinese literature records similar celebrations. The Book of Sui and also the Old Book of Tang both are potent with excerpts that speak about the traditional New Year celebrations based on the lunar calendar that took place in Silla, which is the ancient name of the kingdoms that now constitute Korea. Such mention is also found in the records of the Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1897), when it is believed that officials congregated in the Five Grand Palaces to mark the commemoration of the New Year.


• Traditional Customs: Seollal is celebrated in the most traditional manner and often includes only the family members, relatives and a very close circle of friends. This is the time for people to unite with their family and friends. In modern times many people may have flown away from home for better opportunities, but when the time to celebrate Seollal comes, people head homewards. This is an exclusive family oriented celebration – however, by family we also mean extended family, in laws and close friends and associates. For the occasion people like to adorn the traditional Korean attire called Hanbok. However, these days some people prefer to wear formal western outfit for the occasion.

Now let is take a look as some of the traditional rites and rituals that make up the celebrations of Seollal –

• Charye – In Korea, people believe that the traditional New Year is the time when one should pay visit to the homes of their ancestor or the house where the family resides. This is because of the fact that traditional Seollal customs involve rituals that are dedicated to the forefathers. This is the time when people seek blessings of the elders of the family, and also of the ancestors, living or dead, for a positive New Year ahead.


• Rituals on Seollal’s Eve – There goes a traditional Korean belief that the departed souls come to the Earth on the eve of the traditional Korean New Year. The ghosts then try on various shoes and steal the one that fits them well. Now the person whose shoe gets stolen gets cursed with bad luck that stays for the entire year. This is why people hide their shoes well on the Seollal’s Eve. Some people even take their shoes to bed to avoid misfortune in the coming year.


• First things to do on Seollal morning – Traditional Seollal celebrations include a variety of rituals that are rooted in various beliefs that have come down from times immemorial. One such belief or traditional involves buying a bokjori on the morning of Seollal. Bokjori is a strainer made of bamboo that is typically used to wash rice before it is cooked. This Bokjori is hung high on a wall inside the residence. This is believed to bring fortune and good luck. The earlier you buy the Bokjori the better your luck would be for the coming New Year.


• Further rituals on Seollal morning –

The morning of Seollal is always celebrated in a traditional manner when all the members of the family gather together dressed in their formal finery to pay tribute to the elders of the family, and also to the ancestors. This is how they believe they shall be blessed with good fortune and luck in the year to come.
• Sebae -- Sebae is the custom by which the younger members of the family show respect to the elders by taking a deep bow before them and seek their blessings. The elders bless them luck and fortune for the coming year. Usually the younger ones also receive a sum of money from the elders enveloped in beautiful Korean silk bags.


• Soju – This is a colorless alcohol that is made up of rice, wheat and barley, and is often an integral part of the Seollal celebrations. As per Korean traditions the elders in the family pass around glasses of this drink. Drinking soju is believed to drive away anything negative and bring in positivity and good health. The custom is never to fill soju glasses unless completely empty. Also as per traditions, no one fills their own glass – you have to fill glasses of someone else.


• Tteokguk – This soup which is made up of rice cakes sliced into small pieces is considered an auspicious food item and as such is made a part of most traditional Korean celebrations including commemoration of Seollal.


• Folk games – Traditional Korean New Year celebrations is a joyous one, and often people take part in various games to uphold this spirit of gaiety and festivity. Flying kites is rampant. Another common board game that is played for the occasion is Yunnori. Other games that are played include, gonggi, neolttwigi, jegichagi etc.

• Date: The Thai New Year (which is known as Sonkran) 2016 will be celebrated between Wednesday April 13 and Friday April 15, 2016.



• Calculations based on Astrology: The traditional Thai New Year celebration of Sonkran can be traced back to ancient times. It is believed to have been celebrated since centuries. An interesting fact about the Sonkran celebrations is that the origin is believed to have stemmed from the Hindu method of calculating the date of Sankranti, which as per Hindu calendar is the day that marks the transition of the Sun. In fact even the name Sonkran is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word “Sankranti”, which when literally translated signifies movement, transition or change. So just like Sankranti the day Sonkran also signifies movement or change or transition of the Sun. If we trace history then we can find a logical reason behind this. Thailand was ruled by the Emperor Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Dynasty during 1012-1044 CE. Naturally it should not come as a surprise that the Thai celebration of Sonkran coincides with Puthandu, which is the Tamil celebration of their traditional New Year.  In modern times however for the sake of convenience the date of celebration of Sonkran has been fixed. In case such date falls on a weekend, then the day immediately succeeding the weekend is a holiday in Thailand. As per the traditions of most of the South East Asian countries, Thailand’s traditional calendar also shows a luni solar pattern.


• History: The origin of Sonkran is related to various ancient legends and folklores. It is believed that in the ancient times there was a God by the name of Kabilla Phrom. This God had the tendency to bet. One day Kabilla Phrom was informed that there was a little seven year old boy by the name of Thammabal Kumara who could recite ancient scriptures before people without any mistake or even any kind of hesitation. Kabilla Phrom was tempted to test the knowledge of the little boy. He descended on Earth to meet the boy and challenged the boy with three questions in the form of riddles. He asked the little boy where the aura of a person rested during the morning, noon and night. However, due to Kabilla Phrom’s innate tendency to bet he had put a condition before the little boy. The condition was that whoever loses would have to give off his head to the winner. Thammabal Kumara was given a period of six days to contemplate on the answers to these riddles. The little boy thought really hard, but could not come up with the right explanations to the riddles. He was resting under a palm tree when he could overhear some eagles, who were happy that they shall be able to feast on the head of Thammabal Kumara in a few days time. However, they were wise eagles who also knew the answers to the riddles and were happily discussing those among themselves. The boy remembered what he heard. When Kabilla Phrom asked Thammabal Kumara the right answers after six days, the little boy said – A person’s aura rested on his face during the morning hours, on his chest in the afternoon hours and on his feet at night. He also said that this is the reason why it is considered to be beneficial to wash one’s face in the morning, sprinkle perfume on chest in the afternoon, and wash feet during the night. Kabilla Phrom lost the bet and kept his word. But there was a problem in cutting off his head, for if his head touched the ground, then it would set the earth ablaze, if the head was thrown in the water bodies, there would be drought, if the head kept floating in the air, the area would get face severe natural calamities. To prevent this, the seven daughters of the God placed the head on a tray with feet and carried it in procession to a cave in Mount Sumeru.


• Traditions and rituals: Preparations to celebrate the traditional Thai New Year begin days beforehand. This is the time when people give their homes a thorough spring cleaning. Thai people believe that New Year is a time to turn a new leaf over – to renew to rejuvenate. Homes are washed, altars are cleaned; so are statues or images of Gods or Buddha. The water that is used to clean the altars, shrines etc is considered to be blessed. It is considered to be auspicious if someone gently puts a little of this water over members of the family or over friends. The New Year’s Eve is known by the name of Wan Nao, and the people of Thailand begin their New Year’s celebration from this time. In fact New Year’s Eve is the time when more of the traditional and formal rites and rituals are commemorated. The actual New Year’s Day involves celebrations that are fun and entertaining. Wan Nao rituals also involve visiting the shrines. People seek blessings from the monks who mark their blessings with chalk mark. People also build sand statues on this occasion. This is the day when people also take a resolution to learn from mistakes of the past and stay in the path of virtue all through the New Year.


• Modern Day Festivities of Sonkran: These days it has become a common custom to organize for beauty pageants on the occasion of traditional Thai New Year’s celebrations. This has gained huge popularity because of the fact that it involves people and the winner is decided based on the vote of the public. Water fights are also organized as a fun activity. Not only children, but also adults arm themselves with water guns have a jolly good time. The Thai police department stays extremely alert during the festive days so that the excited crowd can be kept under control.


• Greetings: During the traditional Thai New Year celebrations people resort to wishing each other in a very traditional way in their native Thai language. Literally translated Happy New Year in Thai would be “Sawasdee Pee Mai”. The greeting Swasdee is very commonly used in Thailand, and it can signify either a hello or even a goodbye. The word Mai means New and the word Pee means Year. Another way of communicating Thai New Year’s greetings is by saying “Suk San Wan Pee Mai” – the words suk san signifying happiness. A simple yet popular form of Thai New Year Greeting is “Suk San Wan Sonkran” which literally translated means “Happy New Year’s (Sonkran) Day”.

New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar

Horoscope 2016

• Date: Monday, February 08, 2016 – Tibetan New Year is known by the name of Losar. Traditionally, the Tibetans follow a lunar pattern in their calendar, and as per that lunar based calendar system, one year is made up of twelve months. Tibetan New Year commences on the first day of the first month of each lunar year.



• History: Tibetan New Year celebrations have their customs and rituals deeply rooted to Buddhist ideas and beliefs. However, historians opine that the celebrations of Losar in Tibet can be dated back to a period before Buddhism came into existence. Pre Buddhism Losar celebrations involved people lighting a bunch of incense sticks to dedicate to the local Gods and spirits. The belief was that if the Gods and spirits were kept happy, they shall take care of the wellbeing of the people in the New Year. Celebrations of Losar also involved gratitude for harvest. As Buddhism established a firm footing in Tibet, celebrations of Losar also became tilted towards Buddhist rites and customs. Evolution in time also led to the evolution of customs that commemorate Losar. As per belief, it was during the reign of  Pude Gungyal, who was the ninth king of Tibet, there lived an old woman called Belma who taught people how to calculate time based on the phases of the moon. Because of that, some local people refer to Losar as Bal Gyal Lo, where Bal refers to Tibet, Gyal refers to King and Lo refers to Year. This is also since on this day people also celebrate the King’s enthronement.


• Significant Symbolism: There are some traditional symbols that are associated with the commemoration of the Losar celebrations. These symbols are often found sketched on the walls of homes and monasteries. People make these sketches using white powder. There are eight such symbols that are considered to be extremely auspicious for the occasion. It is believed that when Lord Buddha attainted Nirvana or Enlightenment, the Gods gifted these to him as a mark of respect. The objects and their symbolisms are explained below –


• Parasol – This is representative of Royal Dignity.
• A pair of golden fish – This is representative of Good Fortune.
• Conch Shell – This helps to spread the sound of Dharma.
• Lotus Blossom – This is representative of Clarity of Mind that would lead in the path to attain Enlightenment.
• Vase – This is representative of prosperity and longevity.
• Victory Banner – This is representative of victory over worldly pleasures like lust, desires and fear of death.
• The Wheel of Dharma – This is a very important Buddhist Symbol. This is representative of the Noble Eightfold Path that would lead to Nirvana and thereby end all sufferings.
• The Eternal Knot – This is representative of the union of wisdom and compassion and reminds one of the far reaching effects thereof.


• Traditions: Losar traditions in Tibet are deeply rooted to the rituals and beliefs of not only the region but also of principles of Buddhism.


• Spring Cleaning – Preparations to celebrate the Tibetan New Year begins a month before the actual date and it starts with people giving a thorough spring cleaning to their homes. This is also the time for people to decorate their homes with the best artifacts they possess. Prayer flags in the homes are replaced with new and colorful ones. Also, it is time to get new clothes for each and every member of the family.


• New Year’s Eve Customs – There is a tradition of making a dumpling soup by the name of Guthuk in the New Year’s Eve. Each dumpling in the soup nests one of the nine objects that are considered to have symbolic significance. When the soup is consumed, a person finds out what her or his share of dumpling encases. The object found by the person inside the dumpling is believed to determine either how the New Year would fare for the person or would denote the nature of the person. For example, Chili paper speaks of a talkative person, Wool speaks of a loving person, Charcoal represents meanness, Sugar foretells of good fortune, and so on.


• New Year’s Day Customs – On the New Year, people rise and shine early. They take bath and dress in their new clothes. Before the sun rises the women of the family make a wine that is made up of barley. As the sun rises the eldest female member of the family goes to the nearest source of water and gets the New Year’s first bucket of water. Then the family comes together to greet each other and drink the homemade wine. Next it is time to meet and greet extended family members, relatives and friends.


• Evening of the New Year’s Day – In the evening of the actual Losar or New Year’s Day people believe it is time to scare away all evil forces from their life. As such they light torches and carry them around their homes and neighborhood and make noise. This they believe would get rid of all evils and bad spirits.


• Rituals at the Monasteries: In the conventional festivals of the Tibetan New Year, religion assumes a critical part, and consequently all things considered the religious communities too come into the photo in this setting. The festivals for Losar begin at the religious communities on the twenty ninth day of the twelfth month of the customary lunar timetable took after by the Tibetans. On this day the religious communities perform an exceptional custom to conciliate the divinities so they secure the general population will all kinds of positivities as the year progressed.

It is likewise the custom to wish Dalai Lama good fortunes for the coming year. For that consecrated pills got Ril Bu are made out of simmered grain mixture, which are then offered to the Dalai Lama. Garma performers then perform a move before Him. The custom of organizing a verbal confrontation between two senior ministers is additionally pervasive.  The civil argument is finished up with a joint presentation that follows the standards of Buddhist teachings. The Dalai Lama and the other senior friars are then expressed gratitude toward for managing the insignificant mortals to the way prompting Enlightenment. A formal goodbye is then given to Dalai Lama who then comes back to his dwelling place.
On the third day of the New Year, it is the custom for the general population to visit the cloisters to make offerings to the friars as nourishment, apparel, covers and so on. Ministers regularly favor individuals by checking with white powder on their brow, which is thought to be a declaration of their endowments.

• Greetings:  Some of the common forms of greetings on the occasion of Losar or Tibetan New Year are –
• Happy New Year – ‘Lo Sar Bzang’.
• Prosperity and Goodwill -- ‘Lo Sar Bey Tashi Delek’.
• Prosperity and Happiness -- ‘Gtan Du Bde Ba Thob Par Shog’
• Luck and Fortune -- Lo Sar Bzang’ or ‘Bkra Shis Bde Legs’
• Long life and good health -- ‘A Ma Bag Gro Sku Khams Bzang’

New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar

Horoscope 2016

• Date: Monday Mar 21, 2016. The Persian New Year is known by the name of Nowruz. The word has been coined by combining two terms – “now” or “nou” which literally translated mean “new”; and “ruz” or “roz” which literally translated means “day”. Cumulatively the two terms come together to announce the advent of the New Year; which incidentally also marks the advent of Spring Season in Persia.



• Overview: Nowruz is celebrated in Persia according to the dictates of the traditional Persian calendar. Celebrations of this day can be seen in many parts across the globe. In Persia this is one of the most significant celebrations and is given the status of a national holiday. Nowruz in Persia is celebrated for thirteen days. Nowruz is calculated to fall on the day which marks the northward equinox from the astronomical point of view. Because of this Nowruz is generally celebrated each year around the 21^st day of March.


• History: The celebration of the traditional Persian New Year is believed officially to date back to the 2^nd century A.D. However, many historians have opined that commemoration of Nowruz existed even during the time of the rule of the the Achaemenid Empire, which can be dated to the 550 to 330 BCE. In the year 2013, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared Nowruz to be an International Day, where it has been described as the “spring festival of Persia that has been celebrated for thousands of years”. Omar Khayyam, the renowned poet and mathematician from the land of Persia has documented the splendor with which Nowruz was celebrated in the ancient times, and such documentation can be found in his book titled Nowruznama which denotes the Saga of the New Year.



New Year Around the World

January 1st - History	Chinese New Year	Hindu New Year
Hmong New Year	Islamic New Year	Japanese New Year
Jewish New Year	Korean New Year	Thai New Year
Persian New Year	Tibetan New Year	Vietnamese New Year

2016

New Year 2016	New Year Messages	New Year Wishes
New Year Quotes	New Year Resolutions	Vedic Astrology 2016
2016 - Year of the Monkey	2016 Events	2016 Holidays
2016 Holidays in India	2016 UK Holidays	2016 US Holidays
2016 Hindu Festivals	2016 Federal Holidays

2016 Calendar

Buddhist Calendar	Sikh Calendar	Hindu Calendar
Muslim Calendar	Christian Calendar	Jewish Calendar
Bahai Calendar	Rastafari Calendar	Zoroastrian Calendar
Pagan Calendar	Jain Calendar	Shinto Calendar




Horoscope 2016



• Customs: There are many traditional customs to celebrate Nowruz –



o    Spring Cleaning – This is a traditional custom that goes by the name of Khouneh Tekouni. The term literally means “to shake well”. People of Persia believe that the New Year is the time to shake away all that is old and worn, and welcome all that is new and fresh. For this all the homes are properly cleaned. People also wear new clothes for the occasion.

o    Visiting Family, Neighbors and Friends – Nowruz is a celebration that involves meeting and greeting family and friends. The custom begins by visiting the elders of the family, and comes the turns of other family members, neighbors and friends. People carry sweets as part of traditional mandate while they pay visits, while even the hosts treat their guests with sweets.

o    Nowruz Parties – Traditionally, the Persian New Year celebrations involved visiting families, neighbors and friends. However, these days with people having families and friends living miles apart, it becomes very troublesome to attend guests visiting one’s home, and as well as pay visit to families and friends at the same time. To eradicate such inconvenience people often decide to organize for parties at a central location where everyone can come together to have a gala time.

o    Nowruz Picnic or Sizdah Be-dar – Traditional Persian New Year celebrations last for thirteen days, and on the last day of the festival it is the time to have a good time with family and friends out of door. As such, this is the day when picnics are organized for. This ritual goes by the name of Sizdah Be-dar.

o    Nowruz Resolutions – People in Persia think that the first day of the New Year always hold symbolic significance, and the way that day fares determines how the rest of the year shall be. People try to spend the day in a positive manner. It is not a day for arguments or disputes. It is not a day for disillusionment or sorrow. It is a day that is spent in happy harmony.

o    Bonfire and Singing – Nowruz is a happy festival. It is also the time when people think about rejuvenation and reiteration. Fire is considered holy in the Persian culture. It is believed to eradicate all that is dark and evil, and illuminate lives with positivity and happiness. As such every road and byroad would witness a bonfire arranged where people dance and sing merrily, and also jump over the fire.

o    Making, Serving and Gifting Sweetmeats – During the Nowruz celebrations people visit family and friends. To entertain them, people make sweets in homes from beforehand. While visiting, people also carry sweets as token of goodwill and kind gesture. Children of the neighborhood visit homes asking for sweets – the clatter that they make is believed to scare away anything that is evil. It is also the custom to make sweets and keep it at a safe place outside one’s residence the night before the New Year. On the day of the New Year someone from the family goes to fetch those back to the house. This is believed to ring in a New Year that is happy and sweet.

o    Sending off Bad Luck– In most countries around the world, New Year is considered to be the time when people make efforts to ward off all that is evil or negative. Persian New Year celebrations are no exceptions. However, here it is done through set customs –

ü  Kūze Shekastan – People believe that bad luck gets stored in earthen pots, and as such people break some of them in a symbolic gesture of driving away bad luck.

ü  Fal-Gûsh – People often predict how the future days of the New Year would turn out to be depending upon the bits and pieces of conversation they overhear from passersby.

ü  Gereh-goshā’ī – People often tie a knot to a piece of cloth or handkerchief. A passerby is requested to untie the knot. This is a symbolic gesture of coming out of all hurdles that the year may have in store.

o    Haft Sīn – This is a traditional pattern to set the table for the occasion of Nowruz for which seven items having symbolic importance are placed on the table. The rule is that the names of all these seven items should begin with the Persian letter Sin.

o    Nowruz Feasting – Nowruz is a joyous occasion which naturally involves feasting. Traditional Persian delicacies are specially cooked for the occasion, and include items like Nowruz Koje, Dolme Barg, Sabzi Polo Mahi, Kookoo sabzi, Reshteh Polo, and many others. Some of such food items are believed to bear symbolic significance.

o    Sizdah Bedar – This is observed on the thirteenth day of Nowruz. The ancient Persian people believed that thirteen was an unlucky number. As such when one lived through the thirteenth day of the New Year, one would surely surmount all the hurdles that the ravages of time may bring; or so they believed. As such this victory was celebrated with music, dancing and feasting.

• Greetings: The Traditional way to greet for Persian New Year would be “Nowruz Mobarak”. To wish prosperity for the New Year can be communicated thus -- “Nowruz Pirooz”; while hundred more happy returns is said to be “Sad Saal Bin Saal-ha”.